Arc furnace smeltering system &amp; method

ABSTRACT

An industrial scale smelting system that processes large quantities of ore in a production manner for recovery of a plurality of elements in useful quantities using a furnace system and a plurality of electrowinning processes with the option of raw material recovery and recirculation capabilities.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 10,066,275 issuedate Sep. 4, 2018, which is the national phase of InternationalApplication No. PCT/US2015/030091 filed on May 11, 2015, which claimsthe benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/990,917 filed on May 9, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/082,287 filed on Nov. 20, 2014, the entire disclosures of whichare incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Mining and associated mineral recovery is an important means ofobtaining raw materials. There has been an increasing need to improvethe recovery process economics while reducing or eliminating thepollution footprint of the industry. To date there is no generally clean“Rock to Resource” pollution free way to recover the entire range ofelements or metals in most ores. This is a contributing reason as to whythe current field of mineral recovery is messy, polluting and costly.

SUMMARY

Disclosed are a number of examples of industrial scale smelting systemsand/or methods using arc furnaces for processing large quantities of orein a production manner for recovery of a plurality of elements in usefulquantities using a plurality of electrowinning processes with theoptions of providing efficient energy recovery and raw material recoveryand recirculation capabilities.

Provided are a plurality of example embodiments, including, but notlimited to, a smelting system comprising: a source of at least one feedchemical; a source of ore comprising a plurality of different elementsand/or comprising a plurality of different naturally occurring elementcompounds; at least one furnace for receiving the feed chemical and theore, wherein the furnace is configured to provide heat for convertingthe plurality of different elements and/or the plurality of naturallyoccurring element compounds in the received ore into a correspondingplurality of different chemical compounds based on the feed chemical foroutput by the furnace; and a plurality of electrowinning subsystemsprovided in series.

For the above smelting system, the output of the furnace is fed to theplurality of electrowinning subsystems in sequence, such that each oneof the electrowinning subsystems operates on a different subset of thedifferent chemical compounds output by the furnace to extract thecorresponding elements from the respective subset of chemical compoundsthereby releasing the feed chemical or a compound thereof forrecirculation in the smelting system. Furthermore, each one of theextracted elements is collected and output by the respective one of theelectrowinning subsystems as a product of the smelting system.

Also provided is a smelting system comprising: a source of a feedchemical; a source of ore comprising a plurality of different elementsand/or comprising a plurality of different naturally occurring elementcompounds; at least one furnace for receiving the feed chemical and theore, wherein the furnace is configured to provide heat for convertingthe plurality of different elements and/or the plurality of naturallyoccurring element compounds in the received ore into a correspondingplurality of different chemical compounds based on the feed chemical foroutput by the furnace; and a plurality of electrowinning subsystemsprovided in series.

The output of the furnace is then fed to the plurality of electrowinningsubsystems in sequence, such that each one of the electrowinningsubsystems operates on a different one of the different chemicalcompounds output by the furnace to extract the corresponding elementfrom the respective chemical compound thereby releasing the feedchemical or a compound thereof for recirculation in the smelting system.Each one of the extracted elements is then collected and output by therespective one of the electrowinning subsystems as a product of thesmelting system.

Still further provided is a smelting system comprising: a source of afeed chemical including chlorine; a plurality of different intermixedelements obtained from an ore; at least one furnace for receiving thefeed chemical and the plurality of intermixed elements obtained from theore, wherein the furnace is configured to provide heat for convertingthe plurality of different elements into a corresponding plurality ofdifferent elemental chlorine salts using the feed chemical for output bythe furnace; and a plurality of electrowinning subsystems provided inseries.

The output of the furnace is fed to the plurality of electrowinningsubsystems in sequence, such that each one of the electrowinningsubsystems operates on a different one of the element salts output bythe furnace to extract the corresponding element from the respectiveelement salt thereby releasing the feed chemical or a compound thereoffor recirculation in the smelting system, and each one of the extractedelements is collected and output by the respective one of theelectrowinning subsystems as a product of the smelting system.

Also provided is a smelting system comprising: a source of a feedchemical including chlorine; a plurality of different intermixedelements obtained from an ore; at least one furnace for receiving thefeed chemical and the plurality of intermixed elements obtained from theore, wherein the furnace is configured to provide heat for convertingthe plurality of different elements into a corresponding plurality ofdifferent elemental chlorine salts using the feed chemical for output bythe furnace; a plurality of electrowinning subsystems provided in seriesfor receiving the output of the furnace in sequence; a chlorinatingsubsystem including a chloralkyli chloride generator, the chlorinatingsubsystem configured to recirculate the chlorine from the electrowinningsubsystem for reuse in the feed chemical; a flash distillation subsystemfor adjusting the pH of the electrowinning subsystem using hydrochloricacid; a water sparging subsystem configured to cool and condense atleast a portion of volatized metal chlorides and chlorine output by theat least one furnace for capture and recirculation; and at least oneenergy capture subsystem configured to operate using a transcritical orsupercritical CO₂ Rankin cycle for capturing waste energy output by thesmelting system for converting to electricity.

The output of the furnace is fed to the plurality of electrowinningsubsystems in sequence, such that each one of the electrowinningsubsystems operates on a different one of the element salts output bythe furnace to extract the corresponding element from the respectiveelement salt thereby releasing the feed chemical or a compound thereoffor recirculation in the smelting system. Furthermore, each one of theextracted elements is collected and output by the smelting system.

Also provided is a method of extracting elements from an ore, comprisingthe steps of:

-   -   pulverizing ore containing a plurality of intermixed elements        and/or element oxides;    -   if present, converting at least some of the element oxides in        the ore into the underlying elements by stripping oxygen from        the element oxides using hydrogen and heat;    -   heating the elements with a source chemical including chlorine        to convert the elements into element chloride salts;    -   electrowinning the element chloride salts in a manner to remove        the chlorine and separate each one of the plurality of the        elements from each other for collecting the separated elements        into recoverable quantities;    -   recovering the source chemical for reuse in this method; and    -   removing the recovered quantities of elements for output.

Further provided is a method of extracting elements from an ore,comprising the steps of:

-   -   pulverizing ore containing a plurality of intermixed elements,        alloys, and/or element compounds;    -   if present, converting at least some of the element compounds in        the ore into the underlying elements using heat;    -   heating the elements with a source chemical to convert at least        some of the elements into element compounds;    -   outputting the heated elements and/or element compounds for        input into an electrowinning subsystem;    -   electrowinning the elements and/or element compounds using the        electrowinning subsystem in a manner to remove the source        chemical and separate each one of the plurality of the elements        from each other for collecting the separated elements into        recoverable quantities;    -   recovering the source chemical for reuse in this method; and    -   removing the recovered quantities of elements for output.

Still further provided are any of the above example smelting systems ormethods wherein at least some of the electrowinning processes areconfigured to extract the respective element(s) by an anhydrouspyrophoric chloride conversion process utilizing heat, and/or wherein atleast some of the electrowinning subsystems are configured to extractthe respective element(s) using a molten salt process, and/or wherein atleast some of the electrowinning subsystems are configured to extractthe respective element(s) using an aqueous chloride conversion processutilizing electrolysis.

And further provided are any of the above example smelting systems ormethods wherein the plurality of elements includes: Ag, one or more ofthe Platinum Group Metals, Au, Al, Fe, Co, and Si.

And still further provided are any of the above example smelting systemsor methods wherein the plurality of elements includes a plurality ofelements taken from the list of: Zn, Cr, Fe, V, Cd, Ni, Co, Mn, Sn, Pb,Cu, Ag, Platinum Group Metals, Au, Al, Ti, Mg, Na, K, Na, Ca, Li, theLanthanide elements, and the Actinide elements.

And further provided are any of the above example smelting systems ormethod configured to process ore in quantities of tonnes, tens oftonnes, or even hundreds of tonnes per hour.

Also provided are additional example embodiments, some, but not all ofwhich, are described hereinbelow in more detail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the example embodiments described hereinwill become apparent to those skilled in the art to which thisdisclosure relates upon reading the following description, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an example smelting system;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the ore preparation subsystem for theexample smelting system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic of a first example embodiment of the examplesmelting system of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic of a second example embodiment of the examplesmelting system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Presented are example designs for at least two complimentary recoveryprocesses, namely an aqueous recovery process and an anhydrous recoveryprocess. The disclosed methods and equipment designs can be configuredto provide a high degree of mineral recovery of virtually every elementfrom a source of raw ore, in a manner with a significantly reduced powerconsumption and/or a drastically reduced or eliminated emissionfootprint as part of the design.

Such a system can be used terrestrially, but another specific area ofapplication, showcasing the design advantage, is to enclose the systemin a sealed gas tight vessel and use it in an off planet Earth orextraterrestrial setting, such as in an earth orbit or on anotherplanet, such as to support extraterrestrial mining operations.

The disclosed methods may utilize various additional advancements thatcan be used in conjunction with each other to accomplish the efficientand clean recovery goals. This can include the use of a transcritical orSupercritical CO₂ Rankin Cycle Engine design disclosed in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/452,372 (Improved Performance of a) that wasfiled on Apr. 20, 2012, and is incorporated herein by reference, whichdiscloses the use of an oscillating engine useful for heat recovery, andthe material in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/074,510 (OscillatingPiston Engine) that was filed on Mar. 29, 2011, also incorporated byreference, and PCT application serial number PCT/US13/36099 filed onApr. 11, 2013, disclosing an polygonal oscillating engine, alsoincorporated by reference, that discusses additional engine designs thatcan be useful for heat recovery purposes as provided herein.

This system also incorporates features of a reformer disclosed in PlasmaArc Furnace and applications, PCT application serial numberPCT/US12/49508 filed on Aug. 3, 2012, and incorporated herein byreference.

Additionally disclosed is an improved accelerated Flash DistillationUnit to quickly and efficiently remove water from the producedelectrolyte product in a more controlled fashion, whether it is based onan aqueous solution or based on producing hydrates or hexahydrates ofchlorides, Ammonium Chloride and metal Ammonium Chlorides, hydroxides,sulphide or sulphate solutions. This unit is used to prepare thesolutions for the subsequent electrowinning process. Flash distillationis also used to adjust relevant chemical parameters such as pH and ionconcentration in the electrolyte as part of the process to increaserecovery of target elements and electrolyte precursor feedstocks.

FIG. 1 provides a block diagram showing a simple system arrangement. Alow emissions smelter/refiner system 10 comprising various componentsinclude one or more torches, filters, etc. is provided with raw ore ormining waste materials from a Raw Material Generating subsystem 12,along with water and, if necessary, natural gas 13 as a source ofhydrogen. This hydrogen is released by any desirable mechanism, such asthe hydrolysis of water. Alternatively, a source of raw hydrogen can beprovided. Other source materials 14 are also provided, such as naturalgas or electricity to provide power, sources of hydroxides, sulfur,and/or chlorine (e.g., HCl and/or NaCl), may be added to form compoundsused to separate the desired elements, etc.

Waste heat is captured 16 such as by using heat exchangers and expandersto drive electrical power generation 17 to feed the smelter/furnace 10.Any excess electricity could be used for other purposes or sold to apower grid, if available, or used to reduce system requirements. Someresulting outputs include desirable minerals, metals, and rare earths15. Other outputs 19 may include water, oxygen, hydrogen, or otherelements or compounds. Very little waste remains. Examples of furnacedesigns that might be utilized are provided in PCT applicationPCT/US12/49508 “PLASMA ARC FURNACE AND APPLICATIONS” filed on Aug. 3,2012, and U.S. Provisional Pat. App. Ser. No. 61/907,459 filed on Nov.22, 2013, which are incorporated by reference.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram detailing the Raw Material GeneratingSubsystem 12 in more detail. A mining subsystem 50 is used to mine thematerial in a mass production manner, such as by using large miningequipment which may include high-powered laser subsystems, to generatethe ore raw materials. Note that in some situations, slag that resultsfrom other industrial processes or incomplete refining could beutilized. The ore is transported using a first conveyance subsystem 61to a grinding/pulverizing subsystem 63 to create feed material forfeeding to the smelting/refining system 10, via another conveyancesubsystem 65 and a feeding subsystem 67 for controlling the feed intothe furnace system 10, resulting in the mass production output 15 of thedesired minerals, metals, and/or rare earths.

The raw material generation system 12 is designed to produce and feedthe raw materials for processing by the system 10 in large, continuousquantities at the rate of tons, tens of tonnes, hundreds of tonnes, andeven into the thousands of tonnes per hour. To ease transportationcosts, the system 10 would preferably be located near the source of theore. The primary limitation on the production rate is the availabilityof sufficient electricity to support the entire refining process, whichcan run into the 10s or even hundreds of megawatt range, depending onthe desired throughput.

As a generic example of the process, a furnace vessel is loaded with anoxide ore charge to be processed which is not open to outside air.Plasma temperatures generated by the electric arc raises processhydrogen to as high as 15,000° C. This increases the activity of theplasma and aids in generating a chemical reaction on the surface of theore charge, which strips the oxygen off the ore from the compoundscomprising the ore. The result is that the remaining unbound atom isfree to join a greater population of free atoms from the charge mass.The result will be that the makeup of the ore in metals (such asaluminum, iron, cobalt or whatever the ore consisted of, and semi metalssuch as silicon, will melt to a liquid pool at the bottom of the furnacevessel.

The output gas stream from the furnace can be a mix of hydrogen gas andhydrogen oxide or water vapor. The hot gases will have their temperatureadjusted to the acceptance temperature of a molecular filter which is500° C. Higher temperatures would allow the hydrogen to strip the oxygenfrom the catalyst which is undesirable.

A Reaction produced Silicon Carbide or Basalt laser Printed Circuit HeatExchanger (R—SiC PCHX) is where the hot gas stream has the excess heatremoved to lower the temperature. This is a heat input device for theSupercritical CO₂ Rankin system.

The Molecular filter is a closed to the atmosphere, pressure vesselcontainer holding Iron Oxide or more appropriate catalyst that willreact with arsenic, Sulphur or chlorine atoms leaving the furnace. Thewater can be extracted by condensation and directed to a highTemperature Electrolysis (HTE) unit while the hydrogen gas is directedto the pressure inlet pump for the torch gas manifold.

A high temperature pump is used at this point to compress the processgas stream to system components. A preferred pump is the PolygonOscillating Piston Pump which is the mechanical reverse of the POPEengine disclosed in PCT application PCT/US2013/36099 and incorporatedherein by reference. This usually employs an electric motor to operatethe pump.

Further waste heat recovery from the system at this lower temperaturepoint may be desired if condensation is to be employed to separate waterfrom the gas stream, if so this is where a second RSiC PCHX unit inputsheat to the Supercritical CO₂ Rankin system. Therefore even at thisstage, power recovery takes place with the overall effect of reducingthe size of the system.

The hydrogen from the HTE unit adds the newly produced hydrogen processgas at this manifold point and begins the process over again with a newcharge at the end of a cycle resulting in a pour off of metal mix intoAnode Bars for the next stage.

Transportation can then be provided to a Refinery where it will beelectrowinned into pure or semi pure commercial grade market readyproducts.

FIG. 3 shows one example smelting/refining system 100 using a singlefurnace subsystem 100 including a feed hopper 102 for feeding thepulverized ore raw materials into the furnace 103 which acts as anaqueous metal salt or molten salt dissolution tank. A crucible 105 isprovided to capture all non-volatized mineral chlorides and molten feedstock. A source of carbon can be provided to the furnace to enhance theremoval of the oxygen from the feed stock. The furnace 103 can beconfigured to use an electrical arc subsystem for heating the inputmaterial, and it creates and outputs carbon monoxide and various gaseousmetal chlorides of the various elements that are desired to be extractedfrom the ore.

A water sparging subsystem 110 is provided where the volatized MetalChlorides are captured and cooled. The subsystem 110 has a metalchloride collection tank 111 for condensing and capturing any volatizedmetal chlorides and unreacted chlorine product. The sparging subsystem110 also includes an iron (III) oxide (Fe₂O₃) Hopper phosphorus trap 112and an ammonium chloride addition tank 113 and an iron phosphate filter114 for filtering the resulting chlorides. The resulting solution isthen provided to an aqueous electrowinning subsystem 130. A water cooler115 is provided to cool the metal chloride solution.

A chlorinating subsystem 120 is provided to generate the desired sourceof chlorine for feeding the furnace system 100 for supporting thechemical process. This subsystem 120 includes a chloralkyli chloridegenerator 121 and a water condensation section 122.

The aqueous electrowinning subsystem 130 includes a plurality ofelectrowinning tanks 131 a, 131 b . . . 131 n, for recovering ndifferent elements from the source ore using an aqueous electrowinningprocess by using different voltages for the respective electrolysisprocesses of each tank. An element recovery filter 132 is provided torecover elements that escape the electrowinning tanks. Eachelectrowinning tank uses cylindrical titanium electrodes where themetals nucleate as nodules on the surface, then are removed by arotating wiper to fall to the bottom of the tank for removal. Thissystem allows for continuous operation and could be similar to existingart used for uranium recovery in small cells by the Japanese.

A flash distillation subsystem is provided 141 used to concentrate theacid to reduce its pH. This is coupled to an HCl regeneration subsystem142 for the regeneration of Hydrochloric acid using any excess chlorinegas 135 from the electrowinning tanks. This acid is returned to thechlorine generator 121 for recycling.

Finally, a molten salt electrowinning subsystem 150 is provided with aplurality of molten salt electrowinning tanks 151 a, 151 b . . . 151 mfor recovering m different elements from the smelting system. The moltensalt electrowinning subsystem uses the molten salt feed stock from thecapture crucible 105, and operates at elevated temperatures. Therecovered metals descend to the bottom of the tanks and are extractedvia a tap consisting of a rotate-able inert ceramic rod with a port as avalve. The recovered product can be cast (cooled) in the form of billetsor ingots or nodules.

Note that some embodiments might utilize one or the other of theelectrowinning subsystems 130, 150 rather than using them both.Furthermore, n may, or may not, equal m, and the elements recovered bythe electrowinning subsystem 150 may be the same, partially the same, oreven different than the elements recovered by the electrowinningsubsystem 130.

FIG. 4 shows another example smelting/refining system 200 using adual-furnace subsystem 201 including a first furnace which is a hydrogenfurnace 202 which receives the liquefied ore feedstock primarilycontaining metal oxides along with a source of hydrogen, such as fromwater. This first furnace is designed to remove a substantial portion ofthe oxygen from the metal oxides leaving the mixed metals for feedinginto a second chloride furnace 203. A calcium oxide and/or calciumcarbonate filter 205 is used to filter phosphorus, Sulphur, chlorine,and other byproducts from the exhaust gasses of the hydrogen furnacebefore feeding a water sparging subsystem 210.

A source of chlorine is provided to the second furnace, which is thechloride furnace 203 for generating the molten chloride salts foroutputting to the electrowinning processes via an aqueous metal chlorideconversion tank 207, which can also receive metal chlorides that may berecovered by the water sparging subsystem 210. Both furnaces require asource of electricity for generating the arc for providing the heat todrive the furnaces.

The water sparging subsystem 210 is provided with an isolated coolingcircuit to cool and condense any volatized metal chlorides and chlorinefor capture. The subsystem 210 has a collecting tank 211 for capturingany volatized metal chlorides and unreacted chlorine product. Thesparging subsystem 210 also includes an enhanced flash distillationwater purification unit 212 and a water storage tank 213. A water coolermay also be provided to cool the metal chlorides.

A hydrochloric acid regenerator 245 and a flash distillation system 241are provided for water recovery and hydrogen separation. The watercondensation section (with a weak HCl electrolysis unit and spargersystem) or tank permits the continuous regeneration of concentratedHydrochloric acid for recycling.

The aqueous electrowinning system 230 includes a plurality ofelectrowinning tanks 231 a, 231 b . . . 231 n, for recovering ndifferent elements from the source ore using an aqueous electrowinningprocess, such as by using different voltages for the respectiveelectrolysis processes of each tank. A powder metal product filter 232is provided to recover various elements.

Finally, similarly to system 100 a molten salt electrowinning subsystem250 is provided with a plurality of molten salt electrowinning tanks 151a, 151 b . . . 151 m for recovering m different elements from thesmelting system. Again, n may, or may not, equal m, and the elementsrecovered by the electrowinning subsystem 250 may be the same, partiallythe same, or even different than the elements recovered by theelectrowinning subsystem 230.

Note that some embodiments might utilize one or the other of theelectrowinning subsystems 230, 250 rather than using them both.

pH Control Acid to Base in Aqueous Recycling Subsystem

Featured in an example process that may be implemented by one of theabove example systems is the judicial use and regeneration of Hydrogen,Nitrogen, Chlorine, Ammonia, Ammonium Chloride, water and methane and orCarbon Monoxide or Carbon Dioxide, in controlled variable concentrationswithin an aqueous or non-aqueous electrolyte with parameters set forspecific recovery of targeted individual elements via the application ofelectrical power, heat, electromagnetic radiation and vacuum toelectrolytes, so as to change the specific range of pH and ratios ofthese elements and compounds.

Specifically, this first process utilizes a quantity of water as part ofthe reagent recycling system and as part of the product capture system.This process also uses Chlorine or a metal Chloride gas which isintroduced to dissociate a water molecule and form a molecule of HCl(Hydrochloric Acid) and/or additionally form metal chlorides fromdissolved materials of the ore. A reagent recycling system firstcaptures Chlorine at a concentration of about 3.26 grams per liter withsubsequent electrolysis and combustion so as to produce HydrogenChloride gas, the addition of which in a subsequent water filter will,at saturation, produce concentrations of up to 42% with an associated pHof near 0.5 at Standard Temperature and pressure. This represents anextreme Acid end of the controllable pH spectrum and an example of theChlorine recycling system.

If subsequent to this process an Ammonium molecule is added tohydrochloric acid, there will be an immediate reaction which willproduce an ammonium chloride molecule within the solution. As increasingAmmonia is added to the hydrochloric acid solution or gas, the pHchanges toward the base end of the pH spectrum. As an example, with a 5%Ammonium Chloride concentration by weight of water, the example solutionwill result in a pH of between 6 and 7, which is an approximatelyneutral pH. This represents a transition to a very weak acid from thevery strong acid.

Addition of more ammonia molecules will continue the reaction with everyfree Chlorine atom until there is no free Chlorine in the solution, withthe formation of a saturated Ammonium Chloride solution. AmmoniumChloride is a weak acid with a pH of about 6-7 at a concentration of 5%by weight. Its saturation point at standard temperature and pressure is˜744 grams per liter.

At this point the use of accelerated flash distillation would result ina dry reagent product. This is also an example of recycling of thisreagent within the system.

When there is no free Chlorine, continued addition of the Ammoniamolecule will result in the formation of Ammonium Hydroxide in theaqueous solution, leading to a more basic solution. The extreme of thistransition results in a pH of 11.63.

One approach is to use the electrowinning process itself, electrolysis,electromagnetic radiation, heat and vacuum in a closed chamber closedloop based system to control the reverse of this transition.

Reverse pH Control, Base to Acid

If heat is applied to an ammonium hydroxide solution at a strength ofabout 32%, the solution will boil at about 24.7° C. Additionally, theboiling point is about 34.4° C., at a solution strength of 25%. At 100°C., the ammonium concentration drops to about 5.9%. This illustrates howthe concentration can be adjusted with heat.

If vacuum is applied to the solution, Ammonia gas will be moreaggressively released than water until the Ammonia will have beenremoved from the solution. Upon continued applied vacuum, the water willflash distill from the solution until it reaches saturation for thegiven temperature. Then the water and Ammonia vapors can be sequentiallycompressed and/or condensed to separate reservoirs containing theliquids for reuse permitting separation. This exemplifies the recyclingof these reagents for reuse within the closed loop system.

The reacted Ammonium Chloride will dehydrate under flash distillation,which will result ultimately in the formation of anhydrous AmmoniumChloride residue. If heat is applied, the Ammonium Chloride willdecompose at approximately 300° C. into NH₃ and H₂O and HydrogenChloride Gas. The removal of heat energy via a process heat exchangerwith the application of compression will liquefy the HCl (hydrochloricacid) at a temperature of −85.05° C. which is lower than the Ammonia at−33.4° C. If performed with a valved manifold and discrete containers,this separates the Water, Ammonia and Hydrogen Chloride, providing amethod of separation for reuse and recirculation.

Anhydrous Chloride Conversion

The above mentioned conversion is the basis for anhydrous chlorideconversion of metal oxides as the oxidation potential of NH₄Cl is abouttwice that of HCl or Cl alone. Thus, if a mixture of metal oxides plusAmmonium Chloride is heated via the described methods at about 190° C.,nearly all oxides will be converted to chlorides. In this anhydrousprocess version, excess reagent is disassociated at 300-350° C. into NH₃and HCl gases which when cooled recombine into reagent NH₄Cl and water.As mentioned, this facilitates recycling of those components.

If metal hydrides and/or salts had been suspended in the solution, thedehydrated or hexahydrated metal chlorides would become the feedstockfor molten salt electrowinning or further dehydration using thepreviously mentioned reagents, such as hydrogen chloride or ammoniumchloride, which would be the product. Conversely, if water is applied tothis inventory of metal chlorides, most will disassociate from the watersolution to various degrees and, specie dependent, into free chlorineand metal ions, for example. The liberation of free chlorine ions inwater creates hydrochloric acid. Not all metal ions disassociate inwater or to equal degrees, hence there will be a mixture of metalchlorides and/or metal oxychlorides.

For example, in pure water, Sliver Chloride or Rhodium Chloride isvirtually insoluble. However, the addition of ammonia via the additionof ammonium chloride permits almost all metal chlorides to readilydissolve. Manipulation of metal ammonium chlorides is the basis for theaqueous based winnowing system described herein.

It should also be considered that the process of electrowinning destroysan ammonia molecule with the ultimate liberation of a nitrogen ion uponthe liberation of each metal ion. Hence the process itself is capable ofadjusting the ammonium content and pH as needed.

System Applicability Example; Granite and or Basalt Conversion

The chlorination of all elements within a feed stock—particularly basaltor granite, for example, has as its constituents three principalmaterials: ˜50-70% SiO₂, ˜15% Al₂O₃ and ˜12% Fe₂O₃ as a matrix, withabout 10-20% of the total composition being minor metals and enrichedelements that are extremely useful and valuable in sufficient quantity,even in extra-terrestrial settings. The anhydrous section of this set ofprocesses permits chlorination of powdered metal oxides, such as byutilizing a radiation accelerated ammonium chloride-chlorination processwhich also results in water vapor generation with low energyexpenditures. The efficient conversion of oxide ores to water vapor andmetal chlorides is a key missing technology in extra-terrestrial basedmineral recovery systems.

ENERGY INVESTMENT PER Kg OF RECOVERED MATERIAL.

The electrical energy invested in carbochlorination is well documentedat about 0.4-0.6 kWh/kg ore; however a majority of the conversion energyis derived from potential chemical energy rather than electrical energy.However, energy efficient Carbon sources are problematic inextraterrestrial settings and recycling carbon reactants into reagentsis not trivial as conversion temperatures are high.

Accelerated Flash Distillation

Furthermore, with the application of conventional flash distillation, ifa vacuum is applied to the aqueous metal salt solution, water will beremoved with an energy investment of 0.4-0.6 kWh per gallon. However, ifmicrowave energy is applied to the surface of a water containingsolution, and a partial vacuum is applied, then the heated molecules ofwater will vaporize such that the heat energy from the microwave sourcewill permit more controlled vaporization of a quantity of water from thesurface region of the solution. This, as opposed to the conventionalflash distillation method in which the dispersed and heated watermolecules will volatize en-mass in a sudden transition from the body ofliquid in the container. The extra control of this process results in asmaller and more controlled flash distillation process requiring lessequipment for control of the explosion-like transition to vapor of thedescribed process. The surface vaporization lends itself to this systemoperating with the process water spinning in a cylindrical centrifugecontainer with the total or partial heat input from transitionalmicrowave energy being introduced into the central region of the activearea, and the bulk of the heat being introduced via waste heat recoveryin other parts of the system if desired. Such a device design lendsitself to vertical gravity-based operation or zero-gravity operation inthe same or similar design.

Due to the generation, use, and regeneration of heat, chlorine, ammonia,and ammonium chloride, the principal reagent and/or solvent is centralto this systems' economics. The energy cost of 1.5-3.6 kWh/kg ofchlorine is a predictor of mass conversion performance and economicrecovery. Additionally, if hydrogen is the desired product, then theenergy investment rises to approximately 18.5 kWh/kg and with real worldpower losses to about 20 kWh/kg in the part of the system utilizing thelow temperature (e.g. 70° C.) CuCl₂ catalytic electrolysis system toproduce hydrogen. The hydrogen is then used to recycle the nitrogen inthe ammonia section of the system and if desired, to be used for thereducing furnaces.

The latter assumes the chlorine is recycled in a water absorption cellin which weak HCl is created as water absorbs the chlorine at 3.26g/liter. It is subsequently electrolyzed to produce hydrogen andchlorine in a stoichiometric ratio after which it is reacted to produceHCl gas which will then absorb into water to a concentration of up to42%. This energy investment is representative of electrolysis ofhydrogen chloride or sodium chloride in the chloralkyli electrowinningprocess. As the reagents of hydrogen and chlorine are recycled andregenerated in a closed loop process, this represents a real energyefficiency of the system. The copper chloride electrolysis sectionutilizes waste heat within the system for additional energy reductionsavings.

The energy investment per kilogram of produced metal product would onaverage be near 38 kWh/kg. The breakdown would be about 1.67 kWh/kg ofCl, 20 kWh/kg of hydrogen, 2.5 to 3.5 kWh/kg of metal except foraluminum (which would be 9.6 kWh/kg via the AlCl₃ process) with theinvestment of up to 14 kWh to dehydrate this feedstock. Additionally,the rare earth elements could be recovered with a higher investment ofelectric power in the molten salt electrowinning cells. However, thesmall quantities of this product would be reflected in the majorfeedstocks as 80-90% of ore feedstock matrixes are aluminum, iron andsilicon. The waste heat of this system can be converted to primaryelectricity at up to 55% via the CO₂ RCE system previously mentioned.This subsystem would reduce the energy investment by up to 50% and asmentioned can be tied into the copper chloride electrolysis for Hydrogenproduction.

Primary Fraction Element Separation of Converted Chloridized Ores

Silicon tetrachloride will boil from water at 60° C. @ 1 atm-flashdistillation will accelerate this process. Titanium tetrachloride willvaporize at 138° C. With the further application of flash distillation,the AlCl₃ will become an aluminum chloride hexahydrate, then an aluminumhydroxide, then via additional heat application will convert to Al₂O₃ at300° C. which is insoluble in an HCl solution and can be filtered to ahighly purified product. However the recovered Al₂O₃ will convert to ananhydrous aluminum chloride in the dry chlorination process detailedelsewhere in this document.

If anhydrous aluminum Chloride is desired from the Aluminum Chloridehexahydrate, then additional ammonium Chloride will need to be added tothe mixture and volatized under relatively hard vacuum then heat, firstat 190° C., and then to 280° C. to sublime and purify the anhydrousAluminum Chloride product. At increased temperatures such at 400° C.,the excess ammonium chloride is removed from the chloride charge forreuse. In this approach the unreacted ammonium chloride is decomposed toNH₃ plus HCl gases, at which point it can be pumped to a reaction andcondensing chamber and cooled into the ammonium chloride solid for reuseas a reagent.

The FeCl₃ will decompose at 306° C. to FeCl₂+Cl. If aqueous ammonia orammonium chloride is added, for example, to the FeCl₂, it can beelectrowinned with an investment of about 2.45 kWh/kg. Typical averagepure materials are recovered at an average of approximately 3.5 kWh/kg.Therefore, the average energy investment for all processes isapproximately 10 kWh/kg.

This, then, is the process to achieve a completely converted chloridizedconcentrate of ore products. Once the aqueous stage has depleted thetargeted recoverable metal ions, the remaining solution is further flashdistilled and additionally chloridized to an anhydrous salt which isthen processed via Pyro-metallurgical electrowinning or molten saltelectrowinning.

Such a process includes the recovery of rare earth or lanthanide serieselements, additionally actinide elements and/or transuranium elementscan also be recovered via this process. These are recovered in eutecticmixed salts of LiCl, KCl, and CaCl, for example. The typical energyinvestment is 10-16 kWh/kg for these elements. With the liberation ofmetal ions there is a molar equivalent release of Chlorine gas, which isrecovered by absorption in water to form weak hydrochloric acid, orreacted directly with the aforementioned hydrogen, which is electrolyzedwith recovered sodium to form NaCl, NaOCl in the chloralkyli process.This produces hydrogen and chlorine gas in equimolar ratios with theultimate production of sodium metal in molten salt electrowinning, whichis used in titanium and other metal recovery.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The ammonia+hydrochloric acid- or ammoniacal chloride electrolyte willpermit the aqueous electrowinning recovery of Zn, Cr, Fe, V, Cd, Ni, Co,Mn, Sn, Pb, Cu, Ag, Platinum Group Metals, Au, and many others. Thislist is meant to be illustrative, not exclusive, as the number ofelements approaches half of the periodic table.

For the Pyroelectrowinning (i.e., molten salts) process operating athigher temperatures, elements such as Al, Ti, Mg, Na, K, Na, Ca, Li, theLanthanide and Actinide elements are recoverable. In order to controlprocess, crucible, and tank temperatures, this process can utilize thepower generation system which employs the polygon oscillating engine andthe supercritical CO₂ Rankin cycle heat engine, referenced above, toproduce low cost electricity and recover waste heat. Alternatively,electrical energy input (resistance heating through crucible plusinduction heating), or arc plasma waste heat recovery, or use ofmicrowave and higher frequencies, or other nonconventional heat sources(i.e. concentrated solar or nuclear for extraterrestrial or terrestrialuse) can be used to control the tank temperatures.

The application of the Supercritical CO₂ Rankin Cycle Engine is togreatly increase the electrical efficiency of the element and metalproduction system by converting the waste heat from the conversionfurnaces and molten salt electrowinning metal recovery crucibles back toroom temperature at a high efficiency at nearly every application pointin the system.

Illustration of Concept

The terrestrial example process can show economic benefit by using a lowoperating cost high power output generator, which may utilize one of theoscillating engines referenced herein or concentrated solar or a nuclearreactor, for example. An example design uses a 5 MW Generator to produceelectricity and subsequently process gases via the Dow process, or thechloralkyli process to electrolyze HCl gas, or a HCl acid electrolysissystem to electrolyze aqueous hydrochloric acid, or a low temperatureCopper Chloride electrolysis process to generate hydrogen and chlorinegas with NaOCl or Sodium Hypochlorite.

An advantage of the chloralkyli process is that the sodium hypochloritecan be further electrolyzed into water and metallic sodium. The metallicsodium is useful at converting Titanium and or Zirconium Tetrachloride(and other species) into Titanium or other powder and NaCl for reuse.The first two processes use approximately 26 times less energy (1.67kWh/kg vs ˜39 kWh/kg for the US DOE high Temperature Electrolysismethod) to separate these two gases, which are used in equal molarratios but in separate areas of the process. This alternate examplewould convert approximately 1,666 kg/hr. of hydrogen and chlorine gaswhich would be recycled and regenerated in the process. This hydrogenproduction and use in the molten ore in the Hydrogen plasma arc furnacewill permit extraction of approximately nine times as much oxygen fromthe molten ore which is approximately 40%-50% of the ore's mass.

Additionally when a metal ammonium chloride molecule is electrowinned,an ammonium molecule is disassociated with the resultant release of anitrogen atom. If the nitrogen atom is reacted with 4 hydrogen atomscatalytically, then an ammonia molecule is created, and if this issubsequently bubbled through any strength aqueous hydrochloric acid orHCl gas, then an ammonium chloride molecule is regenerated. This processis used by the chlorine recycling system.

To illustrate as an example, the average density of granite is 2.65-3g/cc. Granite contains mixtures of oxides, which have various ratios ofAluminum Oxide, Silicon Oxide, and Iron Oxide. If one removes theoxygen, the overall remaining mass of a typical ore charge is about ½(˜37-60%) the starting mass for most compositions.

To illustrate, the Al₂O₃ fraction has a molecular weight of ˜102, thealuminum mass is 2 atoms with a Molecular weight of ˜54, with oxygenhaving a molecular mass of 16. The resulting fraction is 52.9% as ametal component vs. an oxide. The density of Al₂O₃ is 4.5 g/cc, and thedensity of Aluminum metal is 2.7 g/cc. Similarly, the molecular weightof Silicon Dioxide is 60, with approximately 28 for Silicon and ˜32 forthe two oxygen atoms. After oxygen stripping, the semi-metal Silicon isnow a 46.6% fraction with a metal density of 3.33 g/cc. The densitydifference of aluminum vs. Al₂O₃ is 60%. The density difference ofsilicon dioxide at 2.13 g/cc vs. silicon at 3.33 g/cc is ˜64%.

Plasma Hydrogen—Oxygen Stripping

The electrolyzed hydrogen gas is used for oxygen stripping with a mixedmetal product and the electrolyzed chlorine gas is used for convertingthe mixed metals into chlorides. The individual gases are fed to arespective arc torch or torches in their respective furnaces. Thesefurnaces would be components of an example system, such as the dualfurnace system 200 described above with respect to FIG. 4, in which aclosed charge of liquefied and electrically conductive oxide based orematerial has been deposited into the central isolated region of thefirst furnace.

In the first furnace 202, the ionized hydrogen plasma will permit thereaction with and extraction of nine times as much oxygen as mass fromthe ore (molecular weight of water is 18, with 2H=˜2 vs O=˜16). Thisconversion process consumes about 1.67+1.5 or 3 kWh/kg of producedmetal. The subsequent and separate chlorine plasma second furnace 203will convert produced metals (received from first furnace 202) intochlorides for an average energy investment of 3 kWh/kg of metalChlorides, with a resulting metal content of approximately 50% molecularweight-resulting in an energy investment of ˜6 kWh/kg of metals.Therefor the estimated conversion process consumes about 3.5 kWh/kgchlorides. The subsequent electrowinning investment average isapproximately 9.5 kWh/kg of recovered metals for all elements.

The First Stage to the Aqueous System

The first furnace vessel is usually provided with an oxide ore charge tobe processed (or mixed metals from other sources, such as municipalsolid waste) and no part of the process material is exposed to anoutside atmosphere during this process. Unique to this furnace design isthat the central portion of the furnace is a closed environmentpermitting any atmosphere to be utilized to react with and transport thevolatized composition of minerals or elements liberated at this stage.

The high temperature (1,000° C. to 1,600° C. or higher) of the furnaceenvironment will volatize the elements and their compounds with boilingpoints under 1600° C. This particularly applies to the innermost sectionof the furnace crucible, used for adding and liquefying feedstock oreswhere waste heat from the plasma arc torches is partially recycled. Asthis is the location where the material is melted and first stagevolatilization can take place in an inert gas atmosphere, if desired;for example: CO₂ or Argon or a reduced reactivity gas such as Nitrogencan be used.

The heat is generated and recycled in the furnace via heating from theelectric power applied to the peripheral crucible, utilizing first theelectric resistance of the silicon carbide crucible matrix itself, andalso from booster induction coils powered by their respective powersupplies and the waste heat from the arc conversion section, which isnearly 50%, on the perimeter. This inner section can use any chosen gasto circulate or transport the volatized elements and transport them toan element specific condensation heat exchanger which is temperaturecontrolled (preferentially, for example, fabricated from siliconcarbide) condensation heat exchanger stack. The example transport gascould be argon, carbon dioxide or some other molecular or elementalinert or reactive gas. This choice could add flexibility to createspecific reactions by use of a specifically chosen gas as an option. Thedesired gas or gasses, can be chosen to form a temporary compound withwhich to increase an element specific transport and purificationmechanism and hence recovery. An example of the metal-halogen transportmethod-concept would be shown in the iodine tungsten halogen cycle andprecious metals recovery. In that case, the hot tungsten will form avolatile compound which will deposit metallic Tungsten on a colderanvil. This specific method separates elements of high valence (such asfour) and the platinum group metals.

Such an option becomes available as each arc conversion station can be aseparate arc and gas circuit from the others and can be isolated. Themajority of metal halide compounds are gases at the operationaltemperature of the author invented plasma arc furnace design.

An alternate example would use hydrogen to bond with Sulphur to makehydrogen disulphide, which is easier to condense and collect.

The disclosed process is similar to the Miller process in which chlorinegas is bubbled through a ceramic lance to the bottom or near bottom of acrucible of molten metal. The chlorine will react with most metalsforming chlorides. However the Miller process has been primarily appliedto the separation of high noble metal content (˜80%) Dore with the usualalloy component being silver. The reaction rate is relatively low withthe introduced chlorine gas mass rate typically being 7.7 grams perminute per lance.

An improvement is provided through the use of large area graphiteelectrode collars surrounding the chlorine lance or orifice. In thissystem the annular area under the electrode is highly ionized by use ofan electric arc which is an accelerator for the desired reactions. Whilethe use of a lance may be beneficial, the electric arc plasma created inthe chlorine gas is an accelerating force to the creation of desiredconversions.

The plasma temperatures generated by the electric arcs, that are nearthe vertical tubes outboard of the central feedstock fill port, raisethe local process hydrogen or chlorine plasma at the arc attachmentpoint to as high as 15,000° C. This increases the activity of the plasmaand accelerates the chemical reaction on the surface of the electricallyconductive liquid oxide ore charge. This reaction strips the oxygen fromthe ore's elements which were originally in the form of oxide compounds.The result is that a water molecule is produced and the remainingunbound atom is free to sink, or float, in the molten ore and join agreater nucleating population of free atoms of metal from the chargemass at the bottom or top collection area of the furnace. The resultwill be that the materials will segregate with the heavy metals sinkingand the light elements rising thereby facilitating collection.

At this point the mixed metal alloy can be tapped and cast intoconvenient liquid, granules, rods, or bars which will be fed as solid orliquid anodes in the next stage: the chlorine arc furnace. This is wherethe mixed metals, elements and conductive compounds such as carbideswill be converted to chlorides. This step permits convenient separationvia fractional distillation or subsequent electrowinning in aqueous ormolten salt cells.

The significant difference in the second furnace, the chlorinationfurnace, for this section near the vertical tubes by the feedstock feedis that an internal manifold exists to conduct the molten metal in thecentral section to individual atmosphere isolated tubes or columns onthe outer section. This feature permits the functional separation of themetal anodes (to be typically chlorinated) and the resulting gas andliquid salts (which are the desired output). Both furnace designs permitseparate segregated atmospheric compartments for ore charge and plasmaarc conversion stations, as part of the furnace designs.

In the first furnace, the outer section output gas stream from thefurnace will be a mix of hydrogen gas and hydrogen oxide (water vapor),which permits water recovery and hydrogen separation. A separate watercondensation section or tank permits the regeneration of hydrochloricacid when chlorine gas is bubbled through it after the chlorine isliberated in the electrolysis cells of the electrowinning recoverysection(s). Consequently, the hydrogen and chlorine are recycledindefinitely in a closed loop in this process.

Typical source ore may contain quantities of minor elemental compositionsuch as Sulphur, phosphorus, halides, rare earths, and trace elements.In smaller versions of this system, a molecular filter is an option tocapture these elements as they may otherwise constitute the majority ofproblem pollutants. Alternate designs employ iron oxide which is fedinto a water sparger tank where the volatized metal chlorides have beencaptured and cooled. This will permit the conversion of the abovementioned elements into iron compounds (principally iron phosphate) as aprecipitate, and permit separation from the aqueous solution.

In a parallel industry application, the petrochemical industry usesceramic bead carriers for iron oxide as a molecular filter whichoperates at about 500° C. These beads can be regenerated when saturatedwith pollutants via re-rusting the iron oxide and removing thecontaminants in an aqueous solution, followed by concentration viadehydration methods.

For larger system designs, a fractional distillation device could use,for example, a supercritical carbon dioxide Rankin cycle engine asreferenced above, which is preferentially used to establish theappropriate condensation temperatures. These design elements mightutilize monolithic silicon carbide or powdered silicon Carbide and/orbasalt printed circuit heat exchangers as heat transfer devices.

A variation of this process uses a carbo-chloro-thermal process for rareearth mineral recovery (see Brugger and Greinacher 1967) and theammoniacal chloride solutions discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,354,incorporated herein by reference. Further use can be made of temperaturecontrolled distillation heat exchangers to condense volatized metalchloride gases.

Such an approach may not be completely closed loop, but it wouldgenerate useful amounts of carbon monoxide which is one of the precursorgases to balanced syngas generation in a reformer to manufacturemethanol. This becomes a potential design option for a combinedmineral/metal recovery system component to the reformer disclosed above(PCT application serial number PCT/US12/49508 filed on Aug. 3, 2012)that can be used, for example, for municipal solid waste recoverysystems.

To increase the energy efficiency of the system, the hot gas streamswould have excess heat removed to lower the temperature. This heat wouldbe an input to a Supercritical CO₂ RCE to lower the energy investment ofthe system by recovering approximately 50% of waste heat energy andconverting it into primary electrical power to feed back into thesystem. The balance of the waste heat can be used in the (relatively)low temperature HCl CuCl₂ hydrogen generation system.

The Molecular filter, when used for terrestrial systems, could be usedinstead of the SiC PCHX fractional distillation unit (which makes thesystem closed loop). The filter is provided as a pressure vesselcontainer, closed to the atmosphere, and holds iron oxide or a moreappropriate catalyst that will react with arsenic, Sulphur, phosphorusor chlorine atoms output by the furnace. The water can be extracted bycondensation and directed to the regeneration unit while the hydrogengas is directed to the pressure inlet pump for the torch gas manifold.This represents a compromised version of the preferred design. Theregeneration solution would be concentrated and become a separatefeedstock to the tailored phosphorus and Sulphur recovery section. Thiswould still constitute closed loop recovery as the system could captureand convert these compounds to pure elemental states via electrolysis.

It should be noted again that cold plate heat exchangers can beincorporated in the place of the molecular filter to recover specificelements by fractional distillation. The molecular filter is forconvenience, as these particular elements and the compounds they aretransported in may not have sufficient recovery value at existingconcentrations. Thus it is an option to concentrate those elements for aspecific designer choice version of this system.

A high temperature compressor pump is used at this point to compress theprocess gas stream to system components. The preferred pump is thePolygon Oscillating Piston Engine acting as a pump, which is themechanical reverse of the engine. This usually employs an electric motorto operate and would preferably be constructed of high temperature inertmaterials such as silicon carbide or other ceramics.

There may be a need to further recover waste heat from the system atthis lower temperature point if condensation is to be employed toseparate water from the gas stream. If so, this is where a second RSiCPCHX unit inputs heat to the CO₂ RCE.

The CO₂ RCE can be utilized in a multiple condensation stage featureenabling subcomponent, that has an advantage again as water begins tocondense at any temperature up to 1660° C. The CO₂ RCE stops convertingheat to power at 82° C. Therefore, even at this stage, power recoverytakes place with the effect of reducing the size of the overall systemand improving energy efficiency. The compressor would be utilized as aCO₂ heat pump to derive low temperature condensation as CO₂ heat pumpshave a high coefficient of performance in operation. This feature wouldutilize the RSiC PCHX heat exchangers and polygon oscillating pistonpump.

The hydrogen from the Dow or HCl gas electrolysis unit adds to the newlyproduced hydrogen process gas at this manifold point and begins theprocess over again with a new charge at the end of a cycle resulting ina pour off of metal mix into anode bars or granules for the next stageelectrowinning either in aqueous or molten salt systems.

Ore transportation to the included Refinery section is accomplished byuse of a hybrid truck or conveyor system, used to carry the metal ormetal compounds to the plant where it will be electrowinned into purecommercial grade market ready products.

Producing Chlorides (Halides)

In this process, the liquid metal is preferentially fed into thesegregated arc region of the second furnace similar to the first, forchlorination via the Plasma arc torches which are similar to the firstexample furnace design. With the exception that the metal feed isconstrained to just the core tube central portion and filler arc feedtubes. The adjacent area is isolated from the liquid metal. This permitsthe molten chloride (halide) salts, as gases or liquids, to be collectedor tapped and directed into the aqueous dissolution and sparger waterfiltration system. A second such sparger air/water collection systemfunctions to capture volatized chlorides and other elements in thefurnace off gases. Here, the gas products are thus captured anddissolved chlorides can be subsequently pumped to the electrowinningsystem for pure element recovery. Non aqueous soluble chlorides arecaptured via filtration and processed as ammoniacal solutions asmentioned elsewhere.

The second furnace has chlorine (halide) gas fed across the arc regionwhere the electric power from the arc drives and accelerates theproduction of chlorides (halides) of the metals in the melt pool at eachtorch arc location, and alternately the metal can be fed into the arc asa bar for smaller discrete versions of the process. However forconvenience to the designer, the solid bars may be easier to process insmaller systems. In operation, the mixed metal product from the oxidestripping furnace is fed into the central bore of the second furnace. Inoperation it is identical to the first furnace with the difference beingthat the first furnace removes oxygen from the ore charge and produces amixed metal Dore′ bullion. This Dore′ bullion is fed into the receivingcentral bore of the second furnace. At the arc locations, which arelocated peripherally around the central liquid metal feedstock reservoirand can be any size to accommodate any conversion rate, the metal isconverted into metal chlorides (halides) at the same basic rate that theore removes oxides in the first furnace.

In contrast to the above aqueous system, for anhydrous chlorideconversion a multiple molar ratio of ammonium chloride is mixed withmetal oxide powder and conveyor belt fed to be heated using a multiplefrequency microwave radiation or induction heated oven.

Combined Molecular Filter Water Sparger for Pollution Control andMineral Recovery.

This sparger (item 207) dissolves the solid metal chloride salts andalso captures the volatized metal chloride salts including phosphorustri-chloride and Sulphur dichloride.

In the chlorination furnace, the molten salts that have boiling pointsabove 1200° C., will be liquids which will be recovered at a tap pointin the perimeter area of the chlorination furnace. They are firstcaptured in a water filled receptacle tank 111 adjacent to thechloridizing furnace. The gas phase salts leave the furnace as volatizedvapors. These gases are ducted to the companion capture tank 115 as anactively cooled sparge tank in which the gases are bubbled through thissecond tank. Alternatively, direct condensation could be used.

Phosphorus and Sulphur Species Control

The phosphorus based compounds are volatile gases chiefly consisting ofPOCl, PCl₃, and PH₃. When sparged through water all of them react toform phosphorus and phosphoric acid. These compounds will react withapplied Iron Oxide (Fe₂O₃) to form iron phosphate, which is insoluble inwater and will precipitate out in a settling tank section orpreferentially be captured in a filter. Iron oxide will also react withand convert the Sulphur hydride and Sulphur dichloride.

As an alternate design choice, this second tank can be replaced with anactive fractional distillation heat exchanger, with which to capture thevolatized gas phase salts. This is the preferred design as it is themost element and energy efficient method.

Electrowinning and Pyro Electrowinning.

Electrowinning of the mixed metal Dore′ bars can be performed usingcurrent industry methods. Alternately, the mixed metal Dore′ Bullion canbe cast into anodes and immersed in a bath of dilute HCl acid or pureHCl gas, ammonium chloride or NaCl or any number of high chlorinecontent solutions, such as ammonium chloride. The mentioned exemplarycompounds are common but not exclusive to this process. This examplepermits illustration of Pyro Electrowinning in pure molten salt oraqueous HCl or metallic ammonium chlorides or HCl with added ammoniumfor pH control. The cathode is made of a chemically inert material suchas carbon graphite or low voltage drop coatings such as platinum orplatinized catalyst coated or impregnated titanium or inert refractorycompound material (by example titanium diboride).

The electrowinning tanks 131 and 231 would be closed to the atmosphereas chlorine gas would be liberated in the process. The gases would beremoved by a similar version of the previously mentioned molecularfilter or preferably ducted to be reacted with hydrogen from the exampleelectrolysis unit to manufacture HCl (hydrochloric acid) and recyclethis resource as it is a principal electrolyte. This is where therecovered water is used to capture the chlorine gas as the gas bubbledthrough the water produces, through a two-step low concentrationelectrolysis of H and Cl which is subsequently reacted as a gas toprocess into a saturated HCl acid solution with saturation being as highas 42%.

Water, Chlorine, and Hydrogen Gas Recovery and Recycling.

Hydrogen gas is reacted to produce water in the first furnace at thearc, after which water is condensed and converted into weak hydrochloricacid (3.26 grams per liter) where the chlorine gas is captured viasparging. Then via electrolysis of the HCl into hydrogen and chlorinegas, HCl gas is created by reacted in a torch or UV oven and/or Fe₂O₃magnetite chemical catalyst reactor. At this point it is hydrogenchloride gas which will absorb into water to much higher concentrationsof up to 42%. Alternately, the hydrogen can be reacted with chlorine gasdirectly after which it can be directed to the Dow Electrolysis unit forseparation to pure process gases. However, the regeneration of HCl tomake and reuse as a source for chlorine gas is one of two centralreagent recycling systems that work together.

The excess chlorination of water (i.e., more than 3.26 grams per literor 0.0894 moles of Cl₂ per liter) will result in liberated chlorine gasfrom the solution as gas is fed into the chlorine manifold of thehydrogen chloride electrolysis unit to produce the process hydrogen andchlorine gas and constitutes a portion of the closed loop.

In the aqueous system, hydrogen and chlorine gas (or halide gasses) areused in separate or segregated electric arc plasma processes within thesame system, and these gases are endlessly recycled to achieve apollution and emission free recovery process and system.

This provides a unique application which is to process oxide oresdirectly from the source, whether it is from mines or metal mixes suchas from municipal solid waste recovery as illustrated in the referencedreformer system, or metal mattes from slags as in the primary smeltingindustry. This can also be used to process environmental toxic wastesites such as the red mud ponds that are waste byproducts from aluminumrecovery plants and the coal fly ash from power plants and evenradioactive contamination sites.

Rare Earth Recovery; Electrowinning Recovery

Another version design uses metal chloride feedstocks directly torecover all elements whether using ammoniacal chloride aqueous or moltensalt electrowinning cells. The deviation from the previous describedelectrolyte recovery methods is early stage fractional distillationunder partial vacuum of two metal chloride compounds. The elementsrecovered at this stage are silicon tetrachloride, as it vaporizes atapproximately 60 degrees ° C., and titanium tetrachloride whichvaporizes at 138 degrees ° C. after the water is flash distilled fromthe capture solution.

There is a problem with many metal chlorides when they are captured inwater, in that they form oxychlorides as they become dehydrated. Thedifficulty is that they do not necessarily convert to pure metalchlorides upon heating to drive off the water when dehydration isdesired. An example is aluminum chloride, which forms aluminum chloridehexahydrate and upon heating will first form aluminum oxychloride whichwill then convert to aluminum hydroxide then aluminum oxide rather thanrevert to aluminum chloride when heated.

In processing Rare Earth oxides, mixing 2 to 4 times the molar ratio ofmetal content with ammonium chloride will completely convert thefeedstocks into chlorides (i.e. MeCl₂, MeCl₃ or Me₂Cl₆) via dry ammoniumchloride powder and do so with a rather low heat of 190° C.

Feedstock can be forced to revert to the chloride by mixing thefeedstocks with twice as much, or a two to four time molar concentrationof, ammonium chloride to the metal and then ramp the heat of thefeedstocks to 400° C. under a high vacuum. This is where the system nowutilizes the second reagent called ammonium chloride. This is made andregenerated when Ammonium-NH₃, is allowed to mix with hydrogen chloridegas-HCl. It then spontaneously forms ammonium chloride-NH₄Cl. Thisprecipitates to form a solid which is subsequently ground into powderfor convenient reuse. When heated, the ammonium chloride sublimes as itdecomposes into the two precursor gases, which upon cooling recombine toammonium chloride. The cooling can continue to the formation of a solidat which point this reagent is available as a feedstock material tostart the process again.

When the aqueous ammonium metal chlorides are electrowinned, nitrogen isreleased and captured, after which it is mixed and reacted under acatalyst to form ammonium gas—NH₃ which can be stored as a compressedand refrigerated liquid or as ammonium hydroxide when the ammonium ismixed with water. The ammonium will be liberated upon heating from thewater. Both methods have their advantages. In a space setting theammonia liquid can be stored under a low pressure tank for reuse. Inthis state it can be a direct replacement for water as a coolant andreaction mass for use in a Variable Amplitude Specific Impulse Magnetohydrodynamic Plasma Rocket or VASIMR Rocket as described by AstronautFranklin Chang Diaz.

For the achievement of purer product materials, other processes can beused such as fractional distillation or zone refining. In this versionthe bath is operated at elevated molten salt temperatures and wouldemploy the CO₂ RCE to control temperatures, and electrical heatingsources such as waste heat from the electrolysis process itself withinduction heating or E beam heating to facilitate the above mentionedtechniques.

Metal Recovery Electrowinning

Electrowinning is an element specific recovery process via largestpractical area electrodes, electroplating onto a target cathode, eitherin aqueous or molten salt versions. The primary advantage to molten saltversion is the size of the system is typically 100 times smaller for thesame amount of recovered product. This process permits a mixed metalcation to deposit out of the mix of metal species by applying the lowestvoltage metal plating potential at a time until that specific element isdepleted from the solution.

A separate Electrowinning tank or crucible can be provided for eachspecific type of element recovery. One example is using Hafnium TantalumCarbide crucibles (existing choices also exist) that are vacuum PLDformed onto molds to create pure Hafnium Tantalum Carbide crucibles orSilicon Carbide coated Crucibles for this purpose. Both of these designscould incorporate internal cooling channels for flowing carbon dioxidegas based temperature control.

The most convenient type of solution to work with is Ammoniacal MetalChlorides as first nitrogen gas is liberated for recycling to ammoniafeedstock gas to make ammonium hydroxide. Later in the system chlorinecan be liberated and become gaseous above the tank or crucible (as inthe aqueous or molten salt recovery version) or liquefied at 108 psi andstored in tanks constructed for this purpose. This permits a ductingnetwork to reclaim the gas and convert it back to a usable resource suchas Chlorine, Hydrogen Chloride gas or Hydrochloric acid in a closedloop.

Pyrophoric Electrowinning

This version is based on high temperature water free (anhydrous) bathsof various ratio mostly molten eutectic Potassium chloride, CalciumLithium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride and Sodium Chloride salts,chlorides, oxychlorides, Hydroxides or Sulphates/Sulphides and isreferred to as the method that would be employed when the non-aqueousmethods cannot be used or the pyrophoric process is otherwisepreferable.

An example: base ore transportation costs for extraction at the time ofthis reference are about $10/ton. The plasma reduction process shouldcost about $145+$58.21 in Natural gas. The Electrowinning process usesgenerally about 2.5-3.5 kWh per kg of metal in the electrowinning tanksection. If a short ton is 909.09 Kg, then this would be about 454.54 kgof mixed metal which would use 3 kWh/kg (to plate to metal)=1363.635kWh. This is $38.42 at $5/1000 cubic feet of natural gas (CurrentWholesale). Costs to process and refine a ton of dirt is$10+$145+$58.21+$38.42=$251.63 (of which $203 is natural gas-so aphotofission reactor would cut the cost to about ¼). This scales with amodular furnace to about a 20 tones per unit per hour reformer system.

A review of the recoverable resources in Basalt or Granite like depositsindicates that with the aluminum, Iron, Cobalt and silicon thesespecific resources would yield approximately $1,100 per short ton atcurrent market prices, without any special elements such as refractory,Rare Earths, Gold or Platinum Group Metals. This sample partition is 25%Silicon at $1.25/kg ($141.88), 8.375% Aluminum @ $2/kg ($76.045), 8.68%Iron at $0.088/kg ($6.94), 6.15% Cobalt @ $28/kg ($781.79)=$1,006.66.This figure is per short ton of feedstock. This example unit shouldprocess 0.563 tons for this amount in an hour, so yield would be$2,381/hr. with a cost of ˜$270.

This example is based on standard basalt rock comparative samples fromthe USGS, used as a control in an XRF assay and expected Granitecompositions.

The resulting process cost reduction numbers are tantalizing. The flashdistillation unit shrinks the wet side size perhaps by 1000 times, thefurnace shrinks the process side by an order of magnitude, and by virtueof not needing a crusher then conveyor equipment for that unit (or afloatation tank) the size is also reduced by a similar amount.

An alternate chloridizing method for recovering commodity metals showsthey can be converted in ammonium chloride powder with metal oxides orcommon ores, which can be later electrolyzed or in hydrochloric acid tomake aqueous Chlorides. The gaseous Chlorine released in theelectrowinning stage is recovered and subsequently reacted with therecycled Hydrogen again and reused as HCl in the gas recovery stage ofthe exemplified Dow Electrolysis unit and subsequent electrowinning unitfor element recovery (see below). Alternatively the Nitrogen andHydrogen can be reacted to form Ammonia which is subsequently reactedwith Chlorine to form Ammonium Chloride for use in the dry chloridizing,low temperature process.

HCl regeneration is accomplished via water absorption, electrolysisfollowed by a catalytic and or thermal conversion, with a subsequentabsorption in water in a suitably built misting tower. This set uppermits 42% HCl concentrations. An alternate use is to react the HClwith NH₃—also regenerated—to make solid Ammonium Chloride (which is adirect feedstock). This system is better suited to space applications aswater is heavy and necessary for life, so by eliminating its need forthe operation of mineral recovery in that environment, it is moredesirable. Additionally the anhydrous system produces water as abyproduct vapor during the conversion reaction using the oxygen formerlyattached to the metal oxides of the ore itself.

In a first stage sprayed water capture cell, Chlorine gas is absorbed ata rate of 3.26 grams per liter. This is sent through an electrolysiscell which produces Hydrogen and Chlorine gas. Subsequently thisstoichiometric gas mix is catalytically and/or thermally reacted toproduce Hydrogen Chloride gas, which can be sent through a second waterspray unit where the HCl gas is absorbed or compressed to liquefy theChlorine from the Hydrogen. This form of separation is possible withheat removal and contained silicon carbide foam as a safety assist viareduced combustion probability, which also aids in waste heat recovery.This unit will produce concentrated HCl acid or pure Chlorine liquid andcompressed Hydrogen gas. The non-terrestrial version of this system canutilize this unit for the combined capture and concentration ofChlorine, Ammonia and HCl acid reagent if so desired by the designer.

Reagent Recycling

Since this system design specifically utilizes closed loop reagents, theaqueous portion converts single element or mixed metal feedstocks intoan solution which would be used to electrolyze (electrowin) into puremetal products. This electrolyte is initially Metal Chlorides which isconverted by introducing ammonia gas, into an Ammonium Chloride-Metal orAmmoniacal Metal Chloride mixture (meaning many Ammonium MetalChlorides). When the metal chlorides are electrowinned the Chlorine gasis released which is captured by a water mist tower, this produces weakHydrochloric acid. This weak HCl acid is electrolyzed into Hydrogen andChlorine gas which can be used directly in the arc furnaces or sentthrough a reaction furnace or cell to produce Hydrogen Chloride gas,this gas when introduced into water as in the misting towers, willproduce concentrated 42% Hydrochloric acid. Elsewhere in the system,Ammonia is regenerated from the recovered Nitrogen gas in the AmmoniacalMetal Chloride aqueous water based electrowinning section. The Hydrogenis produced as the sole product from a Hydrochloric acid or lowtemperature (33° C. to 100° C.) Copper Chloride and/or Zinc Chlorideelectrolyzing unit. This assumes the Chlorine gas is recaptured in waterand recycled as concentrated Hydrochloric acid.

This part of the system uses the weak hydrochloric acid (i.e. 0.089Mole) as feedstock. The Hydrogen is reacted with Nitrogen in anultraviolet activated iron oxide (magnetite) catalytic oven to producethe ammonia NH₃, which is then mixed with hydrogen chloride gas to makeammonium chloride which is used for dehydration and or rechloridizingsection of previously hydrated metal chlorides. The drying processutilizes a two to four time molar ratio of excess ammonium chloride in aheated (190° then 350-400° C.) vacuum oven.

The Molecular filter, if utilized in the first stage furnace or rockmelting furnace, is regenerated by filling the cooled filter tank withwater to re-rust the iron oxide catalyst pellets and transfer theArsenic, Phosphorus, Sulphur and chlorine products to the water, then inturn to a dehydration or flash distillation tank to turn the mentionedcompound products into a solid for further processing. The water isrecycled after condensation.

By directly processing Monazite, the system can be configured to recoverthe phosphates as trisodium phosphate (TSP) in this process.

In the above process where HCl is introduced, an alternate method is tothe mix the Oxides with a 4× Molar mass of anhydrous Ammonium Chloride,then heat the mix under high vacuum and with a low dielectric absorptionline microwave to simultaneously dehydrate and chloridize the oxidefeedstocks. This changes the flow chart example to bypass step 1 and 2and derive a more advantageous anhydrous chloride product that can befractionally distilled or electrowinned directly or both, such as in amanner that is currently known, for example.

The improvement in the recovery process of the above systems is toprocess via a closed loop melt and reduction of the predominantly oxideore in a hydrogen arc plasma furnace. The gaseous product of which isdirected through one or more of the following in order to be closed loopand not polluting.

This is followed by a temperature adjusting (carbide or oxide based)ceramic heat exchanger, then, if used, a molecular filter composed ofIron Oxide catalyst to bind with Arsenic and Sulphur and residualChlorine. To this point the process is based on Furnace products whichwould be (1) water condensed from the waste gas stream, (2) cast metalbars or anodes for subsequent Electrowinning in a companionelectrowinning plant and (3) the captured contaminants mentioned in themolecular filter section. These are recovered when the molecular filteris regenerated (by switching to a stand by molecular filter unit), thenthe saturated Iron Oxide catalyst filter unit is backfilled with waterand left to re-rust the Iron Oxide catalyst. This process lifts off theArsenic, Sulphur and Chlorine liberated in the furnace and results in anaqueous solution of the contaminants, which are subsequently drained anddehydrated via microwave assisted flash distillation then via anappropriate recovery process to be returned to market. The improvementin the Flash Distillation section is based on surface irradiation ofwater based electrolytes with heating during the vacuum distillation.

This process section constitutes an improvement to the overall energyefficiency of the mineral recovery process to remove water with aninvestment of 60-80° C. waste heat and 2 kW in microwave energy/literper minute for distilled water by pulling a partial surface heatingunder a partial vacuum. For terrestrial systems, the regenerate-ableMolecular filter is a resource recovery point that doubles as apollution mitigation. The net result is complete recovery of nearly allelemental resources in the process waste stream, whether it is commonrock or the solids from a toxic or municipal solid waste stream processvia a plasma arc furnace. The above referenced liter of water can holdabout 0.684 kg of FeCl₂/liter. This therefore represents a 3 kW/kg ofFeCl₂ or about a 6 kwh/kg of Iron recovered. This would be added to theelectrowinning power investment to yield about 10 kW/kg/hr. as a workingaverage for the aqueous system.

The furnace is a unique adaptation of the referenced reformer that usesthe plasma arc torches, similar furnace design, Heat exchangers andMolecular filters to capture the Sulphur and arsenic in the Rusty Ironcanister. There is a companion expander system as in the full reformerto recover heat to electricity and use of natural gas as a fuel source.

Flash Distillation

This process involves raising a quantity of contaminated water to asclose to boiling (without actually boiling) as convenient. One exampleis 80° C., then applying a partial vacuum to the tank of water to bedistilled. The water vapor pressure increases the closer it is to theboiling point. The rate of vapor generation is related to the watertemperature and vacuum level. The lower the pressure, the faster thevapor generation, this process is suitable for high speed distillation.

Near the point where the suspended solids are precipitating thecontainer can be pumped to another smaller and specialized container,which is constructed to permit the precipitate to be compressed andremoved from the reduction system.

This part of the process eliminates water discharge from the plant andpermits the solid remaining precipitate to be processed in a specificmanner to recover its constituent elements.

The system can utilize an accelerated flash distillation unit thatirradiates the water surface with high levels of microwave power under apartial vacuum in a closed container. This version is preferred becausethe water boils aggressively when heated under partial vacuum. Oneversion uses partial vacuum to remove the heated water molecules from abulk container leaving colder water molecules in the container holdingthe water based source (which in this case is the electrolyte). If theelectrolyte is uniformly heated the entire mass will violently andsuddenly boil effectively ejecting the entire mass into whatevermanifold exists uncontrollably.

The surface heating of the electrolyte permits controlled vaporizationof the electrolyte for the purpose of concentration to an anhydrouspowder and the fractional distillation of the water for recycling anduse in the balance of system.

Many other example embodiments can be provided through variouscombinations of the above described features. Although the embodimentsdescribed hereinabove use specific examples and alternatives, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that various additionalalternatives may be used and equivalents may be substituted for elementsand/or steps described herein, without necessarily deviating from theintended scope of the application. Modifications may be necessary toadapt the embodiments to a particular situation or to particular needswithout departing from the intended scope of the application. It isintended that the application not be limited to the particular exampleimplementations and example embodiments described herein, but that theclaims be given their broadest reasonable interpretation to cover allnovel and non-obvious embodiments, literal or equivalent, disclosed ornot, covered thereby.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of using a smelting system comprising afurnace system and an electrowinning system for extracting elements fromore, comprising the steps of: obtaining ore comprising a plurality ofdifferent elements and/or comprising a plurality of different naturallyoccurring element compounds; preparing the ore for transportation andinput into the smelting system; inputting at least one feed chemicalinto the furnace system; inputting the prepared ore into the furnacesystem; heating the ore and the at least one feed chemical in thefurnace system to convert the plurality of different elements and/or theplurality of naturally occurring element compounds in the inputted oreinto a corresponding plurality of different chemical compounds utilizingthe input feed chemical; outputting the different chemical compoundsfrom said furnace system into the electrowinning system comprising aplurality of electrowinning tanks, wherein each one of saidelectrowinning tanks is configured to extract a different desiredelement from a different subset of the different chemical compoundsoutput by the furnace; operating each one of the electrowinning tanks toextract the desired element in each respective electrowinning tank; andoutputting the desired elements each from an output of a respective oneof the electrowinning tanks.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein saiddifferent chemicals output by said furnace system are input into eachone of the electrowinning tanks in series.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein said electrowinning system releases the feed chemical or acompound thereof for recirculation in the smelting system.
 4. The methodof claim 1, wherein said feed chemical converts the plurality ofdifferent elements and/or the plurality of naturally occurring elementcompounds in the inputted ore into a corresponding plurality ofdifferent chemical compounds that are chemical salts of the elementcompounds.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said feed chemical includeschlorine for converting the plurality of different elements and/or theplurality of naturally occurring element compounds in the inputted oreinto a corresponding plurality of different chemical compounds that arechloride salts.
 6. The smelting system of claim 5 wherein the feedchemical including chlorine is provided by a chlorinating subsystem,which recirculates chlorine provided from the electrowinning subsystem.7. The smelting system of claim 6, wherein said chlorinating subsystemincludes a chloralkyli chloride generator.
 8. The smelting system ofclaim 6, wherein said chlorinating subsystem includes a watercondensation section.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said furnacesystem is comprised of a first furnace configured to receive theprepared ore comprising a plurality of the element oxides and receivinga first feed chemical including hydrogen for stripping a substantialportion of the oxygen from the oxides for outputting a plurality ofdifferent elements; and wherein said furnace system is also comprised ofa second furnace for receiving the plurality of different elements andreceiving a second feed chemical for outputting the plurality ofdifferent chemical compounds that are chemical salts of the variouselements to the electrowinning system.
 10. The smelting system of claim1, wherein the prepared ore is input into the furnace system as aliquefied feed stock.
 11. A method of using a smelting system comprisinga furnace system and an electrowinning system for extracting elementsfrom ore, comprising the steps of: obtaining ore comprising a pluralityof different elements and/or comprising a plurality of differentnaturally occurring element compounds; preparing the ore fortransportation and input into the smelting system; inputting at leastone feed chemical into the furnace system; inputting the prepared oreinto the furnace system; heating the ore and the at least one feedchemical in the furnace system to convert the plurality of differentelements and/or the plurality of naturally occurring element compoundsin the inputted ore into a corresponding plurality of different chemicalcompounds utilizing the input feed chemical; outputting the differentchemical compounds from said furnace system into the electrowinningsystem comprising a plurality of electrowinning tanks provided inseries, wherein said electrowinning tanks are configured to extract thedifferent elements from respective chemical compounds output by thefurnace; operating each one of the electrowinning tanks to extract thedifferent elements; and outputting the different elements separate fromeach other from respective outputs of the electrowinning tanks.
 12. Themethod of claim 11, wherein said electrowinning system releases the feedchemical or a compound thereof for recirculation in the smelting system.13. The method of claim 11, wherein said feed chemical converts theplurality of different elements and/or the plurality of naturallyoccurring element compounds in the inputted ore into a correspondingplurality of different chemical compounds that are chemical salts of theelement compounds.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein said feedchemical includes chlorine for converting the plurality of differentelements and/or the plurality of naturally occurring element compoundsin the inputted ore into a corresponding plurality of different chemicalcompounds that are chloride salts.
 15. The smelting system of claim 14wherein the feed chemical including chlorine is provided by achlorinating subsystem, which recirculates chlorine provided from theelectrowinning subsystem.
 16. The smelting system of claim 14, whereinsaid chlorinating subsystem includes a chloralkyli chloride generator.17. The smelting system of claim 14, wherein said chlorinating subsystemincludes a water condensation section.
 18. The method of claim 11,wherein said furnace system is comprised of a first furnace configuredto receive the prepared ore comprising a plurality of the element oxidesand receiving a first feed chemical including hydrogen for stripping asubstantial portion of the oxygen from the oxides for outputting aplurality of different elements; and wherein said furnace system is alsocomprised of a second furnace for receiving the plurality of differentelements and receiving a second feed chemical for outputting theplurality of different chemical compounds that are chemical salts of thevarious elements to the electrowinning system.
 19. The smelting systemof claim 11, wherein the prepared ore is input into the furnace systemas a liquefied feed stock.
 20. A method of using a smelting systemcomprising a furnace system and an electrowinning system for extractingelements from ore, comprising the steps of: obtaining ore comprising aplurality of different elements and/or comprising a plurality ofdifferent naturally occurring element compounds; preparing the ore fortransportation and input into the smelting system; inputting at leastone feed chemical into the furnace system; inputting the prepared oreinto the furnace system; heating the ore and the at least one feedchemical in the furnace system to convert the plurality of differentelements and/or the plurality of naturally occurring element compoundsin the inputted ore into a corresponding plurality of different chemicalsalts utilizing the input feed chemical; outputting the differentchemical salts from said furnace system into the electrowinning systemcomprising a plurality of electrowinning tanks provided in series,wherein said electrowinning tanks are configured to extract thedifferent elements from respective chemical salts output by the furnace;operating each one of the electrowinning tanks to extract the differentelements; extracting the feed chemical from additional material outputfrom said electrowinning system for use for the inputting of the feedchemical into the furnace system; and outputting the different elementsseparate from each other from respective outputs of a the electrowinningtanks.
 21. A method of extracting elements from an ore, comprising thesteps of: pulverizing an ore containing a plurality of intermixedmetallic elements and/or metal alloys; heating the metallic elementsand/or metal alloys to convert at least some of the elements into arespective salt of each one of the metallic elements and/or constituentsof the metal alloys; outputting the salts into an electrowinningsubsystem; and electrowinning the salts using the electrowinningsubsystem in a manner to chemically break down the salts into therespective metallic elements separated from each other for output by theelectrowinning system.